The media plays an essential role in our culture. It is the Fourth Estate; it's an undeniably essential instrument in the great American experiment - in keeping our democracy functional. People have very strong opinions about what that means and how information should be disseminated to a population that requires information.

Thomas Sadoski

Categorized in : People Mean Strong

The biggest compliment? I would say, "You helped me." I think in terms of life, not just with acting. But certainly with storytelling, being able to hold up a mirror and allow someone to relate to a story and see something in themselves to the extent that you're in service to another human being - I don't know why else we're here. To know that I helped someone would be the biggest compliment I could ever receive.

Thomas Sadoski

acting compliment thinking

Having the audience know more than the characters is precisely where you want to be in terms of drama. You can engage them much more when that is the case.

Thomas Sadoski

term character drama

I think the media's primarily an interesting backdrop - a fertile backdrop, in which we can discuss a great deal involving the human condition. We're not trying to lecture the media on how it should be doing its job or lecture people on who they should be voting for, but it does provide an incredible backdrop on which we can paint a lot of pictures and open up a lot of discussions.

Thomas Sadoski

people interesting thinking

You're going to run into a great deal of opinions. I think that's just fertile ground for us. What else would you want to write a show about than something that is that much of a pressure cooker, that has that much influence and impact? We're going to run into a lot of different opinions, but it's inspiring to me that newsmen and newswomen have reached out and said how thrilled they are with what we're doing.

Thomas Sadoski

writing running thinking

The way I try to explain it the best is that if Critic A from publication A hates our show, and Critic B from publication B loves our show, what are we supposed to do with that? We have to just respect everyone's opinions and go on making the show we want to make. I've never worked on a show that was altered by critical reception. You just can't afford to do that. So in that regard, it's actually no different that working in theater. It's just a lot more voices.

Thomas Sadoski

different hate trying

I have always been politically active and vaguely dissatisfied with the state of news, but I wasn't sure why.

Thomas Sadoski

news active states

I have so much more compassion for journalists and the work that they have to do, in order to do the jobs that they have to do. I am much more in awe of and am celebratory of great journalism when I see it, and I'm much more critical of bad journalism, or crap masquerading as journalism.

Thomas Sadoski

compassion jobs order

I'm grew up a huge fan of The Three Stooges and Monty Python, so somebody getting slapped in the face with a fish, or falling out of a chair, or running into a door, or tripping over their own feet and eating it, is all stuff I find really, really funny.

Thomas Sadoski

python running fall

Even if you go out there and try to make the most vanilla, non-offensive TV show possible, people are going to criticize you for doing that. It's just part of the game. You can't let it get to you.

Thomas Sadoski

tv-shows games people

Criticism is something that you have to take, regardless of what you do.

Thomas Sadoski

criticism

Journalism and the questions of journalistic ethics, and why certain stories are put on the air, when, how and for what reasons, are big questions in our culture and society.

Thomas Sadoski

air stories culture

I don't speak a lot when I get home, during the season. It's great. I just get to sit and listen. My wife gets to tell me whatever she wants to tell me, and I don't talk. I'm too exhausted to talk, so I'm a very good listener.

Thomas Sadoski

wife want home

As an actor playing a character, I can't come in with my judgement, or else I can't play it honestly. My judgement has to be reserved for later.

Thomas Sadoski

judgement play character

I'm so super interested in what it is to stir things up and to listen to people.

Thomas Sadoski

people

I am very interested in asking questions, and I am very interested in being involved in shows that ask people to think and feel.

Thomas Sadoski

asking-questions people thinking

For me, storytelling is all about how we learn about each other. I'm so curious about people, what makes them tick, why they are who they are, and how we all relate to each other, despite the fact that we may not think that we do.

Thomas Sadoski

may people thinking

I start looking for adjectives in news reporting, and if there are too many of them, if they're all sort of repeatedly designed to influence my thinking in a certain way, I start getting concerned. I'm leery of people trying to paint a picture in a certain way.

Thomas Sadoski

picture looking people thinking

I'm a theater guy at heart; I love the theater. I was lucky enough to spend a good decade and a half in the New York theater community.

Thomas Sadoski

good community heart love

I hit the trifecta on 'Law & Order': I did the original recipe, extra crispy and the Colonel's special.

Thomas Sadoski

recipe special law order

I can't imagine my life without doing theater.

Thomas Sadoski

without my-life doing life